Supreme Court ruling sparks new uncertainty in Tamil Nadu's VC appointments

With the Supreme Court's latest judgment, the appointment of Vice Chancellors in Tamil Nadu once again hangs in balance. The Constitution Bench ruling on the Governor's powers has pushed the process into uncertainty at a time when 14 universities in the state are functioning without a VC - some for as long as 18 months to three years.

The court held that a Governor's silence on bills cannot be treated as 'deemed assent', adding a fresh layer of complication. Tamil Nadu has seen some of the sharpest tussles between a non-NDA state government and the Governor.

On April 22, the Assembly passed a bill transferring the power to appoint VCs from the Governor to the state government. The bill, along with several others, has remained pending with the Governor. In September 2023, Governor R. N. Ravi issued notifications to form search committees for VC appointments, only to withdraw them in January 2024 as the dispute moved to the Supreme Court.


A two-judge bench of the SC ruled in April this year that bills pending with the Governor for more than three months could be considered as having received 'deemed assent'. This gave the state government confidence to proceed with appointments. But with the latest Constitution Bench verdict overturning that position, the fate of the bill remains unclear - and Tamil Nadu's universities appear set for a continued wait for Vice Chancellors.